Musings
by LadyNorthernLion
Summary: Hermione finds herself thinking about her Potions Prof. far too much. Rewrite in progress Chapter 1 is rewritten.
1. One

Musing

Chapter One: Saffron and Wormwood

_Note/Disclaimer: This story is a fanfic based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. No profit is made from this work, and no copyright infringement is meant. _

_This story first appeared on a little over two years ago, and for personal quality control is being re-written. This story is A/U as it takes place in Hermione's seventh year, and will not become HBP compliant._

Staring at Severus Snape on the first day of Seventh Year Potions was not the most constructive use of Hermione Granger's time. Yet there she sat, doing exactly that. Feeling a cool stare boring it's way through her forehead, she shook her head slightly and realized that Professor Snape had been asking her a review question, and from the tone of his voice, she had an idea that he had asked her several times.

"Twenty points from Gryfindor, Miss Granger, and another twenty if I have to ask you this question again. What do you get from an infusion of saffron and wormwood power?" His voice drilled its way into her head, and even in her panic at the lost points, she imagined a faint undercurrent of sensuality the voice carried.

Clearing her throat, Hermione answered the question quickly; her face burning as she at last heard the whispers from around the room. Ron and Harry threw her sympathetic glances for the rest of the class period, while she tried desperately to keep her eyes off the straight, strong back of the Potions Master as he scribbled notes across the chalkboard.

She had managed to dodge her two friends for most of the remaining day, and was relieved to find herself in her rooms at last. One of the benefits of being Head Girl this year was a private room in the tower, and it was there that she collapsed after pulling off her robes. Hermione did her best thinking with a notebook in her lap and a pen in her hand – some Muggle conventions were difficult to get used to, and she preferred a ballpoint black pen over a quill any day. Moments of the day floated through her mind as she struggled to put it all into words. The memory of Professor Snape standing over her, glaring a hole into the middle of her forehead, and her entrance to the common room that night, with her entire house glaring at her caused fresh embarrassment to cloud her mind. Running her hand through her hair and sighing, she tossed the notebook aside and worked on her homework until the moon raised high in the sky over Hogwarts. Hermione fell into a fitful sleep over her Arithmacy book; Crookshanks curled into the small of her back.

The next morning, Hermione awoke with a start, expecting to hear the sounds of her mother preparing breakfast, and instead hearing the muted sounds of birds chirping outside her window. Armed with the knowledge that she would not have to face the Potions Master until the next day, she dressed carefully and smoothed her hair. Hermione met Harry and Ron in the common room and headed off to the commotion of breakfast eagerly. While neither boy mentioned it, the looks they slid toward her as they settled down told her that they were worried still.

Shrugging them off with a mention of Hogwarts: A History, the two boys left Hermione to her porridge and books. It was only then, when the garbage that was Quidditch washed over her, that she glanced at the high table, and found the source of the previous day's concern.

Sitting so far from Professor Snape, she felt safe to study him, watching as he grudgingly accepted another cup of coffee that materialized in front of him. Long hands tinged with blue curling around the thick mug, his face set in what was thought to be a sneer. 'No,' she thought then, 'not a sneer, simply an expression of boredom.' Hermione had always admired the man's intellect, even while he was glaring at her, his voice rubbing salt into open wounds as he teased her for being an 'insufferable know-it-all' in class and ignored her every attempt to prove herself better than his precious Slytherins.

Severus Snape was a brilliant man, but a tormented and cruel one, just the same. She sighed to herself, and realized that most of the Gryfindor table had cleared. Just then, Snape glanced down, and his eyes flashed with annoyance. Hermione had been caught gazing at him again. With burning skin and as much dignity as she could muster, she bolted from the Great Hall to prepare for her classes.


	2. Two

A/N. This is my first fan fic, but I write in my spare time, and have had several things published. Unfortunately, my talents with poetry don't often work for fiction, so bare with me, please! Mykerinos, Fleable, thank you for liking it even in the short, raw state the story is in! 

Recognize anything? It isn't mine, it's J.K.R's. *sigh*

Two.

            Severus Snape hated few things as much as the first few weeks of the fall term at Hogwarts. It was in moments like the one he had woken up to on the second day of classes, when two of the Slytheryn girls had been reunited a short distance from his rooms. Their shrieking was what drew the gaunt Potions Master from his bath, as he rushed out to make them shut up. 

            "Five points from Slytheryn for being loud in the morning!" He had roared at them as they scampered toward breakfast. With a groan at Dumbledore's pleased face on the rare occasions Snape went to breakfast, he stalked off toward the Great Hall. Even he could feel the sneer on his face today, and pieces of the dreams that accompanied his sleep the night before flitted through his mind. 'Miss Granger' he thought ruefully, 'should not stare at me like that very often.' Her eyes had held a look of what… Arousal? And he found himself not entirely immune to her charms, at least in sleep. Stalking into the Hall he went quickly to the High Table, ignoring the few greetings that came his way. Settling down at his usual seat at the end of the table, a cup of black coffee appeared before him, and Snape sipped it slowly, enjoying the heat as it seared down his throat.

The students had, for the most part, left to prepare for classes, and Severus Snape was forced to catch his breath when he noticed Miss. Granger staring at the Table, at him, with a wistful if melancholy look on her expressive, smooth face. He sneered at her, and as it registered, she blushed furiously and rushed from the hall, curls streaming out behind her. Snape took a brief moment to register the hues of her hair in the sunlight streaming from the ceiling, while at the other end of the table, the Head of Gryffindor murmured to the Head Master in concern, but Dumbledore simply shook his head and told her "Hermione will be fine, Minerva, she has the heart for it." With no more explanation, the Head Master rose from the table and went to his rooms, and Snape rushed off to the dungeons to prepare for the first year classes he so dreaded.  

***

            Even the Potions Master knew he was being too harsh on the first years sitting in his classroom, but he would never admit it. As the sixth girl in an hour burst into tears at a sarcastic remark coming from him, Snape dismissed the class and slumped down into a leather chair, burying his head in his long, cold hands. A knock on the door disturbed his rest, and he growled "what" without looking up. Light footsteps crept into the room, and a soft, if not sultry voice reached his ears. 

            "Professor, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but one of the first year Ravenclaws came to me a moment ago asking if you usually assigned detention without telling where or when. She'll be here at 8:00 p.m. tonight, I do hope that will be satisfactory. ".  Glancing up, Snape swore under his breath. Hermione Granger stood before him, brown curls dusted with gold frizzing into a halo around a dainty face. It was her eyes that alarmed him the most, a mixture of desire, anger, and innocence that made the cruel Potions Master want to take her into his arms. Finding the voice to speak, he replied in an almost silky voice. 

            "Very well Miss. Granger. I can see you are completing your duties as Head Girl as well as a Gryffindor could be expected to. Now leave, before I give you a detention." He could tell his voice had the effect on her he wanted, as she gave him a quick nod and slipped from the room, walking none too steady, but with her head held high. 

            Snape didn't go to lunch, and was relieved when his last class fled from the dungeons. He went into his rooms, and collapsed on the bed, body aching from the stress of teaching when his mind was not engaged. It was then that he remembered the detention, and sent an owl to the Head Master quickly. 

***

            Albus Dumbledore was by far the best person in all of Hogwarts to have a minor detention with, and the entire school knew it. Why Severus had decided to send a frightened Ravenclaw first year to him, the Head Master was uncertain. He had the girl take care of the phoenix that perched in the office, and Albus knew that the two had a good time, because when he let himself into his office after two hours, the girl had been asleep, and the bird had been perched on the back of the chair, singing softly. Lifting the youngster he carried her to the Ravenclaw dorms, and as always was surprised by just how young the first years were. Murmuring a 'goodnight mommy' the little girl fell into a peaceful slumber in her bed. Smiling sadly, Dumbledore returned to his own rooms and slept, not knowing that his colleague and one of his students were none so lucky. 

***

            Hermione Granger, Head Girl of Hogwarts, top student in the school, was crumpled on the floor of her room in her nightclothes, tears streaking down her face ferociously, gray eyes focused on the window opposite her. She simply couldn't believe how much of a fool she was making of herself, in her last year to boot! She hated Professor Snape, and always had. He was the one staff member who seemed bent on her expulsion from Hogwarts, and her two best friends as well. She admired his intellect, but she hated the man, didn't she? Her delicate skin flared again as she remembered the way he had glared at her at breakfast, and earlier that evening, another glare, but his voice had been almost… silky... almost…sensual. With a firm negative shake of her head, she settled finished her homework and fell asleep over an old book of Arithmacy. The shadow of rain clouds passing in front of the bright moon caressed the girl's sleeping form, as the Potion Master in the dungeon glared up at it and slowly massaged the mark on his arm.  


	3. Three

A/N: I think the direction this takes is the only way to get there…. sorry if it seems obvious… thanks for all the great reviews, and I hope you all like this chapter. 

Three

            Hermione sighed as she watched the other students leaving Hogwarts for the Christmas break.  Even Ron and Harry were going this year, in order to see Ron's nephew. His oldest brother Percy and his wife Riana had their first child a month ago, and Hermione wasn't sure who was happier, Molly Weasley, or Ron. 

            "Good bye 'Mione, don't worry, we'll take lots of pictures. You're sure you won't come with us?" her two friends spoke almost simultaneously, and she wondered if anyone in the Burrow would notice the two boys' affection this year. Gently reassuring them, she pushed them out the big main doorway of Hogwarts and started back toward Gryffindor tower, lost in her own reasons for staying at the school for the holiday. While the Grangers tried very hard to understand their only child, she and they knew that the world Hermione lived in was vastly different from theirs. She tried not to cry as she remembered the last time she had gone home, the previous summer. The people she had known as a young girl had also matured, and she was so out of touch with popular Muggle culture that she had spent her entire holiday in the public library or in her father's personal collection, burying her sorrows in books. She often struggled to remember how to complete simple tasks without magic, and had spent the first three nights home in darkness because she did  not want to ask her parents how to operate a newer, more up to date lighting system than she had grown-up with. Her parents had treated her like a china doll with nasty habits, and she had never been happier than when stepping onto platform 9 ¾ at the end of the summer. They had written her to inform her that they would not be home for Christmas, and that it would be best for her to remain at school until graduation. Something in the letter's tone made her believe that they thought it best for her to remain away from them forever. 

            Walking along the corridor that would take her to Gryffindor Tower, she suddenly smashed into something… 'not the wall', she thought, her eyes closed. Then the smell came to her, Bergamot and Lavender and Sandalwood. Breathing deeply it took her a moment to register the black robes and the sinewy body the she was crushed up against. A voice rumbled against her ear, and she pulled back sharply just as it cut into her.   
            "Miss Granger, perhaps your time would be better spent paying attention to where you are going, and saving the day-dreaming about Potter for once you are safely in your rooms. While you are one of only two students staying this year, may I remind you that there are still many staff-persons about, and spending the holiday walking into them could be a dangerous way to pass the time." Looking down at her his eyes seemed to almost have a sparkle to them, and she pulled further back, waiting to hear how many points he would take. Surprising her, Snape took Hermione by the arm gently and continued. "I suggest that unless you don't want to eat, you come with me to dinner." With that last statement, he let go of her arm and continued in the direction of the Head Master's office. She choked back a tear and hurried after him, pulled far enough out of her reverie to observe his strong back moving away from her swiftly and with disgust. 

            When Hermione reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office, she was surprised to see Snape standing there. He looked at her, eyes taking in her bloodshot eyes and flushed, tear-stained face. Pulling a black handkerchief out of his robes he ran it over her cheeks almost gently, and she was surprised to find herself grateful for the gesture. They stood for a moment, the hawkish man gently caressing her face with the smooth material. "There, Miss Granger. The staff will not, I hope, accuse me of beating you now." he growled gently, and shoved the sodden fabric back into his robes. Grunting the password "Candy cane", he stepped into the office, and Hermione followed, wondering if gargoyles could really give sympathetic looks. 

            Albus Dumbledore's office was one of the most cluttered rooms at Hogwarts, and Hermione had all she could do to keep from giggling at Professor Snape as he sat down in-between an enchanted evergreen quietly singing Christmas carols and Fawkes, the phoenix, who would from time to time peck at the man's hair, even pulling it and moving just out of reach for a few minutes before returning to his perch. She heard Professor McGonagall clear her throat, "Ahh, Severus, you found her, good. Hermione, dear, please have a seat. Meals will rotate thru all the offices, and so we shall have to give you a schedule." Madame Pomfrey patted a chair between the kind nurse and Snape, and Hermione sat, somewhat nervously, down. With Pomfrey beaming at her and Snape glaring at her, Hermione felt like she was trapped between heaven and hell, without being sure who was which. Dinner went on without much problem, and she for once didn't feel like she was the only one taking forever. Snape ate even more slowly than Hermione, and she even caught him with a half smile as Mdme. Pomfrey again reminded them both that they wouldn't get desert until they finished their meals. As the Head Master passed around candy, both Muggle and Wizard, he spoke quietly with Snape, who turned to her with a candy cane in each hand. Awkwardly handing her one, he said "Miss Granger, as I expect you know, Mr. Malfoy was the only other student staying for the holiday, as his mother wished to protect him from Lucius. The elder Malfoy has, however, been apprehended, and the boy left shortly after the other students. " There was steel in his voice, but also something else. Snape almost sounded nervous! Before she could ask him what exactly this had to do with her, Professor McGonagall spoke. "Hermione, the reason Severus is telling you this is because I've been called away by family, and Madame Hooch is coming with me. He will be acting in the capacity of your Head of House until the end of the holiday." She looked incredulously from Professor to Professor, and Dumbledore spoke quietly. "Professor Snape will be moving into the North Tower, occupying the suit the floor above you, for the next month. As he lives there in the summer, I expect that the move will not take long." Hermione looked at the Head Master, and he beamed at her. "Don't worry, dear, Severus wont hurt you. He might even let you take a peek at his 10,000 volume personal library if you ask kindly. I've found a strong pot of tea and a peppermint candy cane can get you almost anything from him." At this the old man chuckled, and Hermione was shocked to hear Snape chuckle softly. "Now Albus, don't tell her all my secrets!" 

With that announcement, the staff revived and filled out of the office, and Snape beckoned to Hermione to follow him. "Miss Granger, would you mind helping me move?" He asked. Not waiting for an answer, he walked to the dungeons, Hermione following. He stopped a few portraits down from the Slythern common room, and whispered a password. She could feel the dark eyes of the painting burning into her as she followed Snape into his private rooms. 


	4. Four

A/N: It's been almost a year since I've updated this, but I thought I'd post this, and get working on chapter five. Reviews are appreciated. As always, any characters, places, etc recognized from the Harry Potter series are property of J.K.R.

Chapter Four

Severus Snape was a doomed man. He could hear Hermione's heels clicking against the stone floors as he led her into what served as his rooms during the school year. In the summer months Snape preferred to keep to the North Tower, and that was where he kept his library year round, to protect them from the dampness of the dungeon. He began levitating the few boxes, and Hermione spoke quietly at his elbow. 

"What do you want me to do professor?" Her soft green eyes were directed at the flagstones under her feet, and she was biting at her lower lip nervously.

He gruffly pointed out a few boxes of books and potions ingredients for her to levitate, and she quickly and quietly moved the items. He twirled out from the room with his usual flare, but felt the sweatiness of his palms and the dryness of his mouth with outright irritation. "How could you be so stupid, Severus, the girl has better things to do than help you move things you don't actually need…" he thought to himself. Leaning against a wall he waited for her, and once Hermione was out of his rooms Snape replaced the wards and started toward the north tower, slower this time, allowing the girl to walk almost beside him. The scents of lavender and something he could only identify as youth floated up at him, and he was surprised to note that the impeccable Granger girl bothered with scents. Then again, the lavender could be used to combat headaches that he knew all to well to follow long nights of studying and working, mixing with the perfume of youth into a heady, dream like mix that Snape doubted she even knew she possessed.

He was roused out of his reprieve as suddenly as it had come, and found that he had stopped outside of a portrait of a dark-toned man sitting regally astride a black war horse. He muttered the password and the painting swung aside, revealing the inner sanctum of Severus Snape. With the slightest shudder, Snape stepped into the rooms, the girl behind him gasping softly as the light and dark that was his rooms engulfed her. He smiled to himself as he heard the boxes she had been in charge of clatter to the floor with a thump. 

***

"Professor… I… I'm sorry that I…" Hermione blinked in surprise as Snape covered her mouth with one cool, calloused hand and simply said, with a distant look in his eyes ordered "Pick those boxes up and stack them neatly by that table" After doing so, Hermione uncomfortably took a seat on a small sofa covered in rich green velvet, and glanced around the room for signs of life other than the paintings and photographs that adorned the walls. The rooms held a magical quality, but at Hogwarts that wasn't out of the ordinary. She shifted on the sofa again, and gave a soft yelp as the sofa shifted with her in a way more than cushioning could. The plush cushion she was reclining on seemed to be consciously shifting to her body and her mood. Even as Hermione tensed, the sofa itself seemed to stand a little straighter, the cushions firming to the touch. 

"Enchanted, the lot of them. Dumbledore thought that I'd need a place to rest completely in the summers and after particularly severe meetings with Voldemort. So he gave me this place. Amazing, in its own way, though if it gets any more accommodating, I may have to burn the furnishings. " Even as he said it, his eyes softened, and he ran his arm down the leg of the fine mahogany table that the tea service was resting on.

Hermione was shocked at the change in him, but it seemed that as soon as it had come, it was gone, and his face hardened visibly as she watched. With a shake of his head, Snape looked at her and said "If you are properly rested, Miss Granger, you would make this move much simpler for me by returning to your own room and leaving me in piece to my meager unpacking." Swallowing the last of her tea, Hermione handed him back the cup and stood, swaying slightly. She felt Snape's hand wrap around her upper arm for a moment, steadying her. She was glad for the touch, for though it was rough, there was a caress in it, and Hermione looked up at him to see his face contorted halfway between a sneer and a smile. Releasing her, she heard him whisper "You need rest Miss Granger, this has been a busy day indeed. Sleep, and I will see you at breakfast at nine in Professor McGonagall's office. " With that Hermione made her way out the portrait, and to her own room, head spinning at the events, and at the softness in the dark man's eyes.


End file.
